1. I keep a close watch on my x and
y.
My axes are important all the time.
Without friction I surely would decline.
I walk the line on the incline.

2. It’s not easy
to stay on this slope --
Sometimes I need the assistance of a rope.
But knowing my formulas gives me hope.
I walk the line on the incline.

3. As sure as gravity’s value’s
9.8,
I’ll keep on walking till I reach the gates
Of physics heaven, and I won’t be late!
I’ll walk the line on the incline.

4. I’ve got a
physics textbook on my side --
If this slope tries to take me for a ride,
My coefficient of friction will stem the tide!
I'll walk the line on the incline.
I'll walk the line on the incline.

This song is about
the physics of a block, or a person, on a slope or "inclined
plane".

To download the recording
by Ian Hartman, right click one of these options and choose "Save
Target As...":mp3 (1.5 MB) .. RealPlayer
(0.2 MB)
(mp3 is higher audio quality, but RealPlayer file is smaller)

Here is a very nice applet
by C. K. Ng about a block sliding on an inclined plane,
including graphs of PE and KE, as well as adjustable
coefficient of friction and slope. The vector showing
the frictional force is a bit hard to see -- it has
a smaller arrowhead than the other force vectors, and
is positioned along the surface of the incline.

Order I
Walk the Line,
a 3-CD boxed set with 45 of Johnny Cash's hits, from
Amazon.com for only $13.

How do you prove in three steps that
a sheet of paper is a lazy dog?
1. A sheet of paper is an ink-lined plane.
2. An inclined plane is a slope up.
3. A slow pup is a lazy dog.